It may not be used for a while for competitive purposes, but when the track at Wayne Jamison Field is re-opened to the public there will be a fresh new look to it. And there’s a good reason for it.

 

Earlier this month, thousands of dollars was spent to repaint the entire track at the complex. BHS boys track Coach Jon Griffith was pleased with the result.

 

“The finished product looks extremely nice,” said Griffith. “The company that did it finished it up (about three weeks) ago and it looks great. The only bad thing is we were excited to show it off at the Connect-Bridgeport meet with our biggest field ever of 20 teams.”

 

Marking Systems of North America out of Cleveland, a company that specializes in running track work, handled the project. Griffith said the painting was in the range of $5,000.

 

The track boosters provided $5,000 to Bridgeport High School officials to assist with the project. Griffith said any costs over that were “graciously covered by the school.”

 

Griffith said, in the past, repainting of the surface was done usually every six to seven years. However, that changed a few years ago.

 

When a new surface was put in place – what’s called a Beynon surface – it didn’t hold the paint nearly as well. Griffith said it was touched up two years ago.

 

“We thought that would handle it, but instead we had to completely repaint it four years after the new surface was put down. We hope this last longer, but that’s the only complaint with the new surface,” Griffith said. “The kids love running on it and we’ve had plenty of record times as well since it’s went down.”

 

Griffith would like to see more records fall. He just hopes the possibility of that happening is this year.

 

“We’re ready to go and hopefully we’ll get a chance to show the track off,” said Griffith.

 

Editor's Note: Photos show work wrapping up earlier this month on the track and views of the most heavily utilized portion of the six-lane track.